


every dog has his day

by MissFLT



Category: Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)
Genre: Dog K-2SO, F/M, Friday the 13th - Freeform, Other, Pet Rescue, bad luck turning into good luck, loneliness over Christmas, serendipitous happenings, there's a pirate in here don't ask me why
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-13
Updated: 2019-12-13
Packaged: 2021-02-25 21:28:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,824
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21782227
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MissFLT/pseuds/MissFLT
Summary: Jyn has had several bad experiences with Friday the 13th and, just a week before the dreaded day, she meets a cheeky black labrador. Is the dog good luck, or does he hold another surprise?
Relationships: Cassian Andor & Jyn Erso, Cassian Andor/Jyn Erso, Jyn Erso & K-2SO
Comments: 8
Kudos: 44





	every dog has his day

The lane was draped in the silence of the early morning, that silence that, though quiet, is still filled with the sounds of softly chirping waking birds and the gentle whispering of the raindrops pattering on the road and the leaves and roof above.

On a patio swing, Jyn sat bundled in her fluffiest blanket, knees to her chest, mittened hands clutching a steaming mug, as she watched the world wake. She was always awed at how wet everything could become, and even more so at the life that still thrived despite the damp and the cold.

She tried not to think of what day it was in exactly one week. But it was difficult, considering that everything bad that’s happened to her happened on Friday the 13th. Her parents had died in a car crash on Friday the 13th; her guardian abandoned her to the streets on Friday the 13th; all her worst test results were the result of writing on Friday the 13th; she even broke her knee one Friday the 13th. She wouldn’t say she had a tough childhood - at least not as tough as some others - but it seemed to her Friday the 13th definitely had an effect on her. The day still stung for what it had taken from her, but she had come to think of it all being a coincidence, or perhaps she had even brought it on herself with her negativity.

Jyn smiled during her reverie and shrugged. _Nothing has happened in the last few years, except good luck. So maybe my luck truly has changed._

She drank up the dregs of her hot coffee and made to unbundle herself, but in the shift in perspective she saw a fluffy black bundle huddled underneath her rose bush. Squinting, she crouched down and ... gasped! She could clearly make out a shaggy tail and some movement at the ears. Whatever it was, it was shivering under the leafless bush. She stood up swiftly and hurried inside, quickly preparing whatever she thought she may need to help the creature - a bowl of warm milk, a soft cushion for a bed, and newspaper - and putting it all in her downstairs loo. Then, armed with a sausage, she started her rescue.

\--

It took two and a half hours to get what Jyn discovered was a very wet and very upset black labrador out from under the bush. When she first approached it, holding out the sausage like an offering, all it did was side-eye her with the most curious, disgusted expression on its face. She cooed and whistled, pouted and hummed, but eventually the only way she could coax him into the house was by breaking the sausage into pieces and laying the pieces down in a fairy tale trail. All she could do was shake her head at the dog’s obstinacy when it walked into the loo and lay down on the pillow as though it had simply been testing her resolve, dipping its tongue into the now-cold milk and watching her with a grin on its face.

‘Okay, pup,’ she said, holding up her hands to approach him, ‘I’m going to come check your collar.’ It looked up at her and its tongue started to loll, a good sign, but she still approached with caution. When she reached for the white collar, it was all she could do to prevent herself from giggling in relief as he licked her hand. ‘Out of the woods, are we?’ she asked him.

The brass name tag had only that on it. ‘K2...’ she whispered, and the dog responded with a couple of tail thumps. ‘Well, welcome K2. It’s a pity your master didn’t put on their telephone number...’ Jyn patted him. ‘You’re a good boy. You can stay here today, and we’ll see if we can find out where you belong tomorrow.’

She closed the door behind her, stretching after all the crouching, and made her way upstairs to work on her article for the Daily News. She finally finished after hours of research and proofing, taking a break every so often to check on K2 - who was unbelievably an angel - before she heard a thump on the stairs. She turned swiftly to look at the door. There was certainly no way the dog would have escaped from the loo.

‘Hello?’ Her voice croaked much more than she had expected or wanted it to. A soft sound swept along the stairs, and the second step from the top creaked.

Jyn rushed out of her chair and grabbed the baseball bat beside her desk. She stood with bat at the ready, eyes focused on the doorway. Even though she was prepared, the dark shadow that passed her door, turned and made its way straight to her took her breath away.

But it was only K2. ‘How on earth did you get out the loo!?’ K2’s answering bark echoed through her room, but she found all she felt was relief as he wildly shook his tail and licked her hands.

‘You’re a smart one aren’t you?’

K2 sat and pawed at her hand, whining. She crouched down to his level. ‘Were you getting lonely?’ Another bark, and another smile on Jyn’s face.

The pair spent the evening together on the couch watching Nailed It, and Jyn found that the kind of company she was getting from the dog was not unpleasant.

\---

The next day Jyn and K2 made their way to the local animal shelter. K2 was amazing, and Jyn could hardly believe that he didn’t need a leash to stay at her side. He followed her instructions as though she had been training him her entire life. He didn’t want to get out of the car, though, so Jyn locked him in, with the window down a slip, and went to make her enquiries.

It was the first time she had visited the shelter since moving to Jeddah Point. She liked to keep to herself, and really only knew people from work - and not well, since she worked from home - and the helpers at the various stores she frequented. It was warm inside and the heat intensified the smell of animals and pet food. There was no one behind the counter and she decided to forego the bell for attention and peruse the notifications board while she waited to see if K2 was listed as lost anywhere.

She had no luck, and was forced to ding the bell. It wasn’t long before a man came out, and she had to force her mouth closed to avoid laughing: he was dressed like a pirate. No, not just with an eyepatch and a handkerchief hat: the whole shebang. His nametag announced ‘Cap’n’, he had a knee-length, frogged, red coat a la Captain Hook, he had the handkerchief but atop it was black, wide-brimmed hat with a red feather to match his coat. His boots were knee-length, cuffed and freshly polished. He even had a fake parrot on his shoulder. The effect was uncanny mostly because he was missing a hook for a hand and appeared to have both feet.

Jyn swallowed her giggle and instead gave the man a smile. ‘Um...morning...’

‘Top of the mornin’ to you lass,’ the man said in an Irish accent that didn’t seem to be put on at all. _Were pirates Irish?_ she thought to herself. ‘How may I be of service to a pretty thing such as yeself?’

Jyn couldn’t help blushing at the compliment, but managed to clear her throat before asking,’ I found a stray dog...’

‘Argh, those feisty strays!’ He leaned towards her conspiratorially, narrowing one eye. ‘I sincerely hope that it has not been a wretch to ye?’

‘Not at all! I just wanted to find out if anyone had reported a black labrador as lost? He goes by the name K2...’

‘A _black_ dog, lass! Nay, not a one has reported a black dog to us,’ he growled, after putting special emphasis on the word ‘black’. ‘But ye be sure to bring him to myself and I will deal with him for ye.’

‘Oh, no! I don’t wish to leave him here at all!’ Jyn stated. ‘I just wanted a contact number if someone had reported a dog...’

‘Oh, aye, I see where yer goin’ with this, but might I suggest ye leave him to me.

‘That scalliwag has nay business with ye!’

Jyn slowly backed away from the counter. ‘No, truly, thank you for your help.

‘Kind sir,’ she added, with emphasis. The pirate looked pleased as she left, but she could hear him: ‘Ye be sure to bring the scoundrel to me if he so much as looks at ye funny!’

Jyn was already halfway to her car, and found a strange solace in climbing in to it with its dog smell and the ready, happy licks of K2 on her face.

\---

It had been a week since K2 came into Jyn’s life, and she felt as though she had never been happier. K2 was the well-behaved dog she heard other people wish for. He fetched her socks and slippers, asked to go outside to do his business, didn’t chew on her couch or her laptop, and took up a reasonable amount of space on her bed.

He spent the day lounging on the carpet while Jyn typed furiously, with a newfound joy, and she found herself spending more time outside, walking him around the town that she realised she really didn’t know at all: there was a pond in the park that K2 bounded through every day; a small coffee shop called Rogue Coffee that served her favourite ice tea, and K2’s favourite dog biscuit; the mothers watching their children play at the playground were friendlier than she thought, and the children loved K2, too.

Her days had definitely become sweeter. And she wasn’t even worried about Friday the 13th.

But on the dreaded morning, she found the front door open and K2 was gone.

\---

Jyn was unbearably disappointed. She called in sick for a week, failed to do any writing at all, didn’t bother leaving her home and simply called for takeout every night, answering the door with red eyes and tissues falling out of her cardi pockets. Her wireless had taken a hit, what with her binging for days and being unable to sleep without the solid comfort of K2 at her feet. She was now reduced to reading, if she could concentrate at all. She felt the effect of this Friday, and all Friday the 13ths before it, as though they had all occurred one after the other, a flood of disappointment. A week later, she had forced herself to deal with the loss, as she had with all her other losses, and even deleted all the selfies of herself and K2 together so as not to be reminded of her loss or of how terribly alone she realised she had always been.

On the 23rd, she threw herself into her work. She finished four articles in one day, relishing the lack of personal contact and the impersonal language she could use as a journalist. She went out to the grocer and responsibly filled her fridge with healthy food, and even threw a quinoa roast in to spoil herself on Christmas Eve. She avoided Rogue Coffee, didn’t bother reporting K2’s loss to the pirate at the animal shelter, and steadfastly refused to cry any more about K2 or the mess that seemed to be her life.

‘I’m fine,’ she would say as she looked at herself in the mirror, her face twisting and molding itself around nameless shapes as she stared.

‘I’m fine’, she would say as she forced herself to walk to the park and watch the still pond in the park, definitely not thinking of K2’s glee as he splashed through it.

‘I’m fine,’ she would grin as she greeted the mothers in the park with a smile on her face, steadfastly avoiding their children’s questions about K2.

At home early on Christmas Eve, she put the quinoa roast into the oven along with a pile of wedged potatoes, sesame seed broccoli, and a vegan custard tart, not caring whether everything tasted like everything else. She moved the dishes to the table, set a spot for herself, and collapsed with a sigh as she looked at everything on the table. She had never felt so alone.

It was then that there was a frantic scrabbling at her door. Despite her resolve at not missing K2, she jumped up and scrambled for the passage. She tripped on the carpet and slammed into the door, but in the importance of opening up for K2 she didn’t care. When she turned the knob, the door knocked into her and the black and comforting shape of K2 bashed into her, throwing her onto the floor.

He licked her face, now wet with tears of relief, before lunging off her and rushing back outside. Jyn quickly climbed to her feet and ran towards the door, but was shocked by the presence of a dark-haired man, whom she ran into, his strong hands supporting her and holding her away from him. He bent down and looked into her face with the kindest eyes she had ever seen.

She was speechless as she gripped his upper arms and stared into his face.

He gave a lopsided smile as he released her, and his accent rolled off his tongue straight into her heart.

‘I’m very sorry about my dog. He can be such a ruffian’.

Jyn pulled away from him. ‘Y...your dog...?’

The man knelt down and rubbed his dog’s head affectionately. ‘Yes, K2.’ The man smiled again. ‘He went missing for a week.

‘I was so happy to have found him. Well, really he found me...

‘Sorry, I’m rambling...’

‘Y...your dog?’ This time Jyn’s voice was a squeak. K2 was someone else’s dog?! Inwardly she chided herself. Of course K2 had an owner.

He laughed, a warm sound that rolled around her like a fluffy blanket, like K2.

‘Yes.’ He smiled down at K2 before stretching out his hand in introduction. ‘They call me Cassian’.

Jyn’s mind had still not caught up. She thought this man in front of her was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen, and all she could do was stare at his outstretched hand with her jaw hanging open.

Cassian pulled his hand away smoothly, instead rubbing it down his face, and then through his hair. ‘Once again, I’m sorry for disturbing you and your guests...’ Cassian looked at her table filled with food, smiling at her.

‘Oh...’ She had found her voice. ‘No, there’s no one else here.

‘Um...how did you find me?’

Cassian’s brow creased.

‘What do you mean? My dog here....’

‘K2.’

Cassian looked at her again, scepticism on his face. ‘Yes... K2... He led me here.

‘I had to run through the town to catch up with him. I think maybe I caused a pile-up...

‘Wait, how do you know K2? How does K2 know you?’

Jyn started to laugh, a vague feeling of concern that this beautiful Cassian person thought she was crazy brimming over and making her laugh harder and clutch her belly as she folded in half.

Cassian waited patiently for her laughing fit to cease, his hands squashed into his pockets and a small smile gracing his face.

When Jyn stopped laughing, she stretched out her hand in reciprocation. ‘I’m Jyn.’

Cassian shook her hand slowly as she started to explain. ‘I found K2 outside my house, under that bush.’ She pointed.

‘He spent a whole week with me.’ Jyn reached down to pat K2’s head, her smile as wide as the relief that was swimming through her.

‘He ate my food. He shared my bed.’ She blushed at the statement, quickly crouching down to K2 and glancing at Cassian to see what he thought, but he was still smiling.

‘He made me whole again.’

Cassian grinned this time, a smile that dug into her solar plexus with the tenderest hooks.

‘Yeah, he tends to do that.’

When she stood up again, she shyly tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. She couldn’t look him in the eyes as she asked, too afraid of what her question may mean, too afraid that he might say 'no'.

‘Would you two like to join me for dinner? I mean, I know you probably have plans...’

‘We would love to.’ Jyn’s eyes shot to Cassian’s, which were shining with glee. ‘Wouldn’t we, K2?’ he said, without taking his eyes from her's.

K2’s tail wagged as he dashed to the dining room, as if he could no longer wait for the silly humans to get on with it. After all, he knew what was happening, what was meant to be. The two just had to catch up.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much to Semperfidani for the SW Advent; it's an amazing idea and I'm so honoured to be featured among so many other talented writers! I was bitten by the you-can't-write-to-save-your-life bug at the beginning of the week, so I hope you enjoy this silly Friday the 13th Christmas mash-up! Say hello on [Twitter](https://www.twitter.com/MissFLT).


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